Arts on Building Sites

LocationAUSTRIAWESTÖSTERREICH OberösterreichStart/End date of the practice

Start: 01.01.2000

End: on-going

Topic of the practice

Arts on Building sites is a regional measure on creative sector business concerning the cooperation of architecture and applied arts and provides work and income for local artists.

Good Practice Information

In the year 2000 the supplementary law on "Arts on building sites" was enacted in Upper Austria:
1,5% of the building costs have to be dedicated to the related application of Fine Arts, if the share of public money exceeds 50% of these building costs. Since then more than 6,500.000 Euro were spent on artistic contributions, about 150 artists were involved up to now. This measure not only contributes to the attractivity and an added value of new public buildings – and it is seen as a pursuit/continuation of the former collaboration between architects and artists in the monarch times and therefore the enabling of a living for (in that field always "applied") artists – it also turned out to be an important factor in tourism as well as in the self-understanding of the "users" and the resident people, as most of these applied arts concern town halls, schools and nursing homes for elderly people,
but also bridges or turn abouts. For the future guided tours to the main attractions are planned.

Evidence of success

The Arts on building sites is a good example of applied use of arts and of public-private funded construction projects. The public body, the region of Upper Austria, acts as legislative authority as well as organising and intermediary institution. It is an important factor in tourism as well as in the self-understanding of the users and the resident people. That means: for the customers, but also for the service-providers (artists, designers and architects). It offers income for the artists and others working in the creative sector but at the same time improves the quality of life of the customers and it strengthens the economic factor of cities/the region by related tourism. Since the start of this measure more than € 6.500.000 were spent on artistic contributions, about 150 artists were involved up to now.

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